S’mores are definitely a summertime staple. The buttery graham crackers, melty chocolate, and toasted marshmallow always keep you coming back for s’more. Walmart has you covered with new Hostess S’mores Cupcakes and best of all no messy kitchen or campfire are required.
Available exclusively at Walmart, these cupcakes are made with a moist graham cracker-flavored yellow cake, toasted marshmallow flavored creamy filling and topped with delicious chocolate icing. It’s the best of both worlds.
Available starting Jul. 9 and for a limited time only, grab them at Walmart for just $2.68.
Get ready for your next family camping trip with these camping recipes that take your campfire cooking way beyond s’mores. With foil packet meals, grilled chicken recipes, camping breakfasts and even the infamous walking taco, your family will be singing your praises and going to sleep with full bellies. Get the campfire ready!
We know you've got a big day ahead and the monkeys are a little slow on their feet, so try this on-the-go breakfast from Alaska from Scratch. While they call for prep-work at home, all you'll need to do the morning of is heat all the ingredients together, wrap it up in foil and cook it on the fire for a toasty, melty burrito that will fuel your day.
There's nothing better to start a day on the right foot than a camping breakfast. Think a big skillet of potatoes, eggs and cheese cooked over the campfire. This recipe from Over the Fire Cooking combines breakfast sausage, potatoes and onions that get topped with eggs for the perfect runny-yolk goodness.
This sweet recipe from Almost Supermom will get everyone in on the action. All you need is a tube of crescent rolls, cinnamon sugar and a frosting drizzle if you like. Using s'mores skewers, roll the crescent dough around the skewer and roll in the cinnamon sugar. Cook over a campfire for about five minutes, rotating frequently. Top with a drizzle of frosting.
Get veggies into the kids early in the day with this easy recipe from Over the Fire Cooking. After cooking chorizo with onions, add the filling to bell peppers and top with an egg. Cook until the egg is done to your preference. YUM.
Using your cast iron skillet or a foil baking dish, top blueberries with a crisp topping that's made by combining oats, cinnamon, sugar and spices. Dab with butter, cover with foil and bake away! Mommy Hates Cooking says that you can use any fresh fruit that you have or even canned fruit in place of the blueberries. Top it with vanilla ice cream that you can make in a bag and HEAVEN. Bonus: leftovers are perfect for breakfast.
Use up leftover steak from last night's dinner in this delicious hash from Campfireskillz. Sauté cubed sweet potato, leftover steak, onions and spinach in olive oil. Top with eggs for runny-delicious goodness.
This five-ingredient recipe from The Seasoned Mom will have a flavorful dinner on the picnic table in no time. Top fresh salmon with pesto, tomatoes, onions and feta and seal those babies up in heavy-duty foil. Cook over indirect campfire heat until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
This brilliantly-easy dessert (or breakfast?) from The Starving Chef uses store-bought individual shortcakes, canned pineapple rings, brown sugar and maraschino cherries to create this kid-favorite treat over the campfire.
You just might incorporate the deliciousness of walking tacos into your at-home life after you've tried them while camping. Cook ground meat in a skillet and add your preferred taco seasoning. Using individual bags of chips like Fritos or Doritos, split the bag down the side and open it wide over a bowl. Top with taco meat, cheese, sour cream and whatever other toppings you like.
Thrifty Jinxy offers up this chicken and veggie foil packet recipe that is kid approved. Using small chunks of chicken or thin-sliced chicken breasts, add your favorite veggies and a dollop of BBQ sauce to your foil packet and seal them up nice and tight. Cook over the campfire for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked through and enjoy!
This recipe from Tablespoon is super easy and fun as it cooks the brownie right inside an orange peel! Use your favorite boxed brownie mix and get these puppies baking over the fire in no time.
This classic option requires very little prep work and can be modified with whatever veggies and proteins you like. Start by marinating your cubed protein in your favorite teriyaki sauce and popping those babies in the freezer at home. Let them defrost at the campsite and skewer them up with your favorite veggies like peppers and mushrooms, or even fruits like pineapple. Grill them over a fire until you reach the desired doneness.
For this delicious campfire treat, start by peeling a portion of the banana and splitting the banana down the middle length-wise. You can stuff it with whatever you'd like including chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, Teddy Grahams and trail mix. Wrap each banana in foil and roast over the fire. Let these guys cool off before you enjoy them as the banana will be hot!
Thoughts of summer evoke memories of the ice cream man. Bomb Pops are a popular summertime staple. Bomb Pop Middles, from the makers of the iconic Original Bomb Pop feature an ice creamy outside and a gooey decadent middle.
Bomb Pop Middles ($4.99–5.49 / box of 10 pops) come in four radical flavors that will deliver the fun to your freezer, including:
Chocolate Caramel Sundae – Chocolate Caramel Sundae combines gooey caramel and ice creamy chocolate frozen dessert for an unforgettable collab.
Strawberry Raspberry Taffy – Strawberry Raspberry Taffy combines the flavors of creamy strawberry and stretchy raspberry for frozen dessert deliciousness.
Chocolate Creme Sandwich – Cookies are a lot more fun when they’re frozen — and on a stick! Chocolate Creme Sandwich is like everyone’s favorite cookie, except colder.
S’mores – A fresh take on the classic campfire recipe, reinvented for your freezer. S’mores has a gooey, marshmallow center and ice creamy graham cracker frozen dessert dipped in chocolatey coating.
“Summer is right around the corner and we want our fans to have it all — whether it’s the sundae bar or the great American campfire s’more — on a stick,” said Jeremy Hrynewycz, Senior Brand Manager, Bomb Pop. “All your favorite desserts are coming to this poolside party, and the flavor and texture game is strong.”
Bomb Pop Middles will be popping up all summer long through super cool social activations meant to celebrate tweens’ various interests and passion points, including a TikTok #NotOneThing hashtag challenge, Twitch “Squad Up for Bomb Pop Middles” Squad Stream fan-engagement, and Soundcloud “Bomb Pop Middles Summer Jams Contest,” along with other engaging activities on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
To get your hands on Bomb Pop Middles, head over to the freezer section of grocery retailers nationwide.
Conflict in marriage can start in many ways, but unhappy compromises can be the most damaging. The ones that occur when one person needs something, and they don’t get it. What’s interesting is that, in marriage, I have found that many spouses avoid asking for what they need and then they are left unmet and unfulfilled.
A lot of us are scared of pressing our partners for something we need if we think they will fail to grant it, or worse, will make us feel bad for needing it in the first place. Sometimes we fear this because what we need means they have to do something different; they have to give something for us to get something. So, we take our need and pack it up in a neat little box and tuck it somewhere deep inside. It stays hidden, but without fail, it creates resentment. And it hurts. Even if we ignore it for a while, it pokes and scrapes at us from time to time. We hoped it would go away, dissolve into nothing so it would stop scratching at the door of our hearts, begging for attention we can’t give. But it doesn’t. We deal with the discomfort out of fear that setting it free and diving into it like a swimming pool on a hot summer day will drive an even larger wedge into our relationship.
My husband quotes something I said during our second year of marriage over a disagreement I don’t remember now. But he brings it up as a truth that sank deep inside him that day. “I will not be a passenger in my own life.” It probably had to do with which blinds to order for the kitchen or what color car to buy. I can be dramatic like that. But the truth in the statement displays how easily we can begin to feel like we have to take a backseat to our partner’s wants and needs.
When we fail to make our needs a priority, we become a servant to theirs. Sometimes our needs align, but most of the time, they fall on opposite ends of the spectrum, and we are in a continual state of give-and-take. The tricky thing, though, is that give-and-take can often turn into a tug-of-war, and then no one gets what they need.
For example, when our two oldest kids were two and four years old, I was a stay-at-home mom, who also worked part-time, and I was drowning. Growing up, vacations at my friends’ cabin were some of my favorite memories. Those hot summer days by the lake and nights at the campfire sunk into my bones. I wanted that again. I needed a break with my family to rejuvenate and catch my breath. I brought up renting a cabin and getting away for a week to my husband several times, thinking the more I talked about it, the more he would understand how important it was to me. My repetitive comments became a nagging annoyance to him, making him wonder why I couldn’t respect the fact he didn’t want to do it. I became so frustrated that I made a decision; I would not be a passenger in my own life. Being respectful of a budget, I booked three days at a cabin and told him that I hoped he would join us. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t be mad, but this was very important to me.
Of course, I hoped my husband would come, but I was prepared to go alone. In the end, we all drove out to a little resort in Brainerd. We fished and swam and played. The kids ran in the rain, and we bought souvenirs in a quaint little town. We nibbled fresh-fried donuts every morning at the general store across the street. We had the best time. When we got home, my husband said, “So I think next year we can stay somewhere a little nicer. I’ll start looking around.” I smiled at the lovely surprise. For the next few years we spent summers renting cabins, and just recently was able to purchase our own. My husband proved as giddy as a schoolchild the day we closed, a joy sparked by a trip he never wanted to take. I wonder how our life would be different if I had never made my need known and insisted on meeting it, and if he had never come along for the ride.
That was the first of many times we have had to weigh our own needs alongside the other persons. It doesn’t always work out perfectly. I have put myself aside to be there for him, as often as he has done the same for me. We do our best.
In marriage, just like in life, we can’t always get what we want. And just because we want something doesn’t mean it’s what we need. But when we need something, it is essential to make sure our needs are met. If our needs are not actualized or even acknowledged, it creates a lot of other conflicts that eventually will erode the relationship. The important thing is to uncover your needs and see how they can be met, separately or together.
Krissy Dieruf is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children, loves to sing and dance around the house and has a soft spot for rebels and crazy hair.
Going camping can be a very good idea and something we all should try in our life. However, what you do determines if you will enjoy the venture. Also, it is of utmost importance that you consider packing properly and utilizing the best camping gear so that you have a memorable trip and no issues during your travel.
No matter where you go, once you arrive at your destination, here is a list of the best activities you can do while camping:
1. Explore Nature. The best thing one can do while camping is finding out more about nature. You can decide to go watch the birds, animals around your camping site or go for scavenger hunting. However, it is wise to follow signs and directions like “Do not feed or hunt wildlife,” “No Smoking around animals” and other important warnings and information.
2. Water Activities. In case you are camping near water bodies like a river, sea, lake or ocean, then you do not have an excuse to get bored. You can go swimming, fishing or ride a wave runner. Additionally, bring or rent a boat, kayak or canoe. Playing basketball or volleyball in the water can also be exhilarating. When camping, remember to bring squirt guns since they are amusing to play with no matter how young or old your group.
3. Physical Activities. While camping with friends, there are many outdoor activities like football, soccer, and basketball that you could play. It is more exciting to run around the camp with bikes as you chase each other. Nonetheless, depending on your destination, you can also try something more adventurous such as searching for hiking trails, and explore the beauties of nature. Bonus? After such long walks, you and your kids will sleep peacefully at night after such an enjoyable day full of activities.
4. Play Various Games. During camping, there is a lot of free time and it’s the perfect time to play games. There are numerous entertaining games such as card-playing. Cards can be easily packed since they are light and require a small space. Additionally, board games can be interesting especially when played outdoors. Games like charades is an excellent choice, especially since you do not have to carry anything with you.
5. Relaxing Activities. Camping is all about taking a break from our daily activities. When camping, after a long day of playing and hiking, you can decide to take a nap. More so, camping is a perfect opportunity for meditation—you can keep your brain calm, think about your life and the future.
6. Evening Outdoor Activities. Some of the best outdoor activities, when camping, can be done at night. In fact, some of the most fun are the night activities! Watch the stars, go on night walks, play hide and seek and play flashlight tag!
7. Take Photographs. Take pictures of the mountains, clouds, trees, flowers or any animals you find. It’s a fun activity with the added bonus of a memory keepsake.
8. Build a Campfire. Campfires usually happens at night and is a special activity on its own. And the campfire brings along its own set of activities like singing, storytelling, and dancing around the fire. And don’t forget to make S’mores!
9. Practice Outdoor Skills. Practice your skills such as building a fire without lighters, tying knots, making a shelter using plants, hunting for food as well as arrow shooting. These skills could come in handy one day.
Anna Boquen is a young ambitious girl who has been researching self-development for the past two years and is now off traveling the world. Her mission is to inspire others to live their dreams and be the person to whom they say; "Because of you, I never gave up."
If you’re already missing summer nights in the flurry of pumpkin spice and Halloween decor, you can enjoy your favorite summer treat without the campfire thanks to the new Stuffed Puffs S’mores Kit.
No access to a grill or campfire? No problem. Now you can make hot, gooey s’mores with nothing more than a microwave. The Stuffed Puffs S’mores Kit comes packed with Stuffed Puffs famous chocolate-stuffed marshmallows and graham crackers. Just a few seconds in the microwave and you’ll have the same delicious treat your family loves that you can now enjoy year round.
“The idea was born around a campfire,” said Michael Tierney, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY in 2010,“and now with Stuffed Puffs you can bring that experience indoors with just seven seconds in the microwave – something you can’t do with traditional marshmallows and chocolate.”
The new Stuffed Puffs S’mores Kit is available online and in Walmart stores nationwide for $14.
Halloween is just around the corner and so is the return of the Midnight Gang. Nickelodeon just shared the first trailer for the reboot of Are You Afraid of the Dark?
If you grew up in the ’90s chances are you slept with a nightlight on after watching the original spooky series Are You Afraid of the Dark? and now it’s your kids turn for some scary good fun.
The new version is a three-part, limited series introducing a brand new campfire story for the Midnight Gang, The Carnival of Doom, which as the premise of the series goes, comes to life. This reboot is definitely not for younger viewers and appears to have a little less cheesiness and lot more edge than the original.
Part one of Are You Afraid of the Dark? premieres Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. EST on Nickelodeon. Parts two and three air on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25.
If long road trips are in your summer plans, then you’ll definitely be excited to hear about Libro.fm’s monthly deals on audiobooks for kids rolling out this month, just in time for the drive to grandma’s.
Libro.fm is unique in that it partners with over 700 independent booksellers to offer audiobooks. Starting this month Libro.fm is launching the Kids Club and the YA Club, each of which will be featuring 10 audiobooks priced at $10 or less every month.
For the month of June you can kick things off at the Kids Club with an audiobook selection that includes Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, Malala (Unabridged) My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights by Malala Yousafzai & Sarah J. Robbins, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Islandborn by Junot Diaz and Ghost by Jason Reynolds.
The YA Club will feature Campfire (Unabridged) by Shawn Sarles & James Patterson, Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor and more in June.
Both clubs are free to join and require no commitment. Get more info and sign up here.
Oreo is no slouch when it comes to the yum-factor. With flavors that range from the sort of savory Pumpkin Spice to the downright decadent Birthday Cake, the iconic cream-filled cookie just gets better and better.
Dessert enthusiasts rejoice—because Oreo recently announced the roll-out of five new flavors. Starting this week, with the new S’mores flavor, you can expect all kinds of sandwich-cookie snacking goodness to come your way.
Following the May release of the campfire fave-turned Oreo flavor, the brand will debut a coffee-themed pick. The Oreo Thins Latte will make its way to grocery store shelves this June.
Along with the java joyfulness of the latte-inspired pick, Oreo will also release its Marshmallow Moon cookie in June. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo lunar landing, the limited-edition treats will come with moon-themed designs stamped onto the cookies and an out of this world glow-in-the-dark package.
As mid-summer strikes, and the July mercury rises, Oreo will partner with ice cream icon Baskin Robbins on an ice cream-esque cookie—the Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo. You’ll have to wait until late August for the last of the five new flavors. With fall on the horizon, Oreo’s autumn-ish Maple Creme cookie will hit retailers!
In an effort to get more families to unplug and get outdoors, REI has teamed up with Basecamp Hospitality to launch a series of educational programs at select state and national parks just in time for National Camping Month.
The classes, which will be featured in a pilot program at 15 parks managed by Basecamp Hospitality, will include topics like how to pitch a tent, kayaking, campfire cooking and fishing basics. The program will launch on June 23-24 at Lake Camanche, California and will later roll out to Lake Gregory, Angel Island and Lake Chabot in California in 2019 and expand to Silver Falls, Katherine Landing at Lake Mohave, Big Basin and others in 2020.
photo: Courtesy of Basecamp Hospitality
“We’re aiming to make it easy and fun for beginners to learn about camping so they can gain confidence and create incredible memories they’ll talk about their whole lives,” said Basecamp Hospitality CEO and Chairman John Koeberer. “The goal is to create new ambassadors for camping that will inspire other beginners to get out there and create their own adventures.”
The launch program at Lake Camache will include classes for groups of four who rent a tent site, or participate in the Rent My Tent program, where the tent and campsite are set up for you. The REI-led classes will include camping basics like tent set up at “Welcome to Basecamp Basics Class” and “How to Build a Campfire” among others.
Packages start at $285 for two nights including a tent or $224 if you bring your own tent. For more details on the programs available and to sign up check out the site here.
